Red Cross launches blood bank registry to curb commercialisation in Andhra Pradesh

The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) is undertaking a systematic survey of all blood banks operating in Andhra Pradesh as part of efforts to strengthen regulatory oversight and transparency in the state's blood transfusion services.

Data gathered from the state's 246 registered blood banks will be fed into the Blood Banks Management Software (BBMS), a digital platform designed to create a unified registry and operational database. Officials said the centralised system would enable real-time monitoring and help identify irregularities across the sector.

The initiative targets three key concerns: preventing the commercialisation of blood donation, reducing disease transmission risks through contaminated blood products, and detecting operational violations among blood bank facilities. The BBMS platform will facilitate better coordination between blood banks and health authorities.

The Andhra Pradesh blood banking network comprises government and private facilities serving the state's population of over 49 million. By digitising bank-level information, health officials hope to improve donor safety protocols and ensure compliance with national guidelines governing blood collection, testing, and storage standards.

The data collection exercise represents a significant step toward professionalising India's voluntary blood donation ecosystem, particularly in southern states where private blood banking operations have expanded rapidly in recent years.